- Asked by: Kenneth Gibson, MSP for Cunninghame North, Scottish National Party
-
Date lodged: Thursday, 05 February 2009
-
Current Status:
Answered by Linda Fabiani on 5 February 2009
To ask the Scottish Executive what progress is being made regarding its commitment to provide humanitarian aid for the people of Gaza.
Answer
This question was answered in the Chamber. The answer can be viewed in the Official Report using the following link: http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/business/officialReports/meetingsParliament/or-09/sor0205-01.htm
- Asked by: Kenneth Gibson, MSP for Cunninghame North, Scottish National Party
-
Date lodged: Tuesday, 13 January 2009
-
Current Status:
Answered by Nicola Sturgeon on 21 January 2009
To ask the Scottish Executive how many hospital beds were available in each of the last 15 years for which figures are available, broken down by NHS board.
Answer
The numbers of available staffed hospital beds in Scottish NHS hospitals are shown in the following table.
Average Available Staffed Beds1 by NHS Board Area2; Financial Years Ending 31 March 1994-2008
| | 1994 | 1995 | 1996 | 1997 | 1998 | 1999 | 2000 | 2001 |
| Scotland | 45,263 | 43,587 | 41,790 | 39,668 | 37,998 | 36,376 | 34,696 | 33,160 |
| Ayrshire and Arran | 2,692 | 2,575 | 2,408 | 2,259 | 2,234 | 2,163 | 2,147 | 2,149 |
| Borders | ,845 | 822 | 807 | 781 | 754 | 734 | 688 | 654 |
| Dumfries and Galloway | 1,287 | 1,226 | 1,183 | 1,105 | 1,076 | 1,104 | 980 | 835 |
| Fife | 2,577 | 2,455 | 2,322 | 2,228 | 2,097 | 2,029 | 1,979 | 1,914 |
| Forth Valley | 2,598 | 2,504 | 2,349 | 2,260 | 2,106 | 2,028 | 1,862 | 1,735 |
| Golden Jubilee National Hospital | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Grampian | 4,661 | 4,442 | 4,304 | 4,135 | 3,892 | 3,732 | 3,589 | 3,464 |
| Greater Glasgow and Clyde | 12,742 | 12,119 | 11,616 | 11,063 | 10,932 | 10,289 | 9,732 | 9,335 |
| Highland | 2,431 | 2,391 | 2,297 | 2,168 | 2,153 | 2,088 | 2,049 | 1,992 |
| Lanarkshire | 4,307 | 4,112 | 3,994 | 3,882 | 3,726 | 3,661 | 3,590 | 3,421 |
| Lothian | 6,557 | 6,532 | 6,253 | 5,717 | 5,117 | 4,819 | 4,525 | 4,376 |
| Orkney | 152 | 150 | 150 | 153 | 147 | 131 | 102 | 95 |
| Shetland | 142 | 137 | 136 | 127 | 116 | 100 | 101 | 100 |
| Tayside | 4,005 | 3,857 | 3,720 | 3,557 | 3,374 | 3,235 | 3,106 | 2,842 |
| Western Isles | 266 | 265 | 250 | 232 | 274 | 263 | 248 | 248 |
| | 2002 | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008P |
| Scotland | 31,930 | 30,793 | 29,886 | 29,069 | 28,311 | 27,678 | 27,103 |
| Ayrshire and Arran | 2,137 | 2,114 | 2,068 | 2,044 | 1,976 | 1,906 | 1,872 |
| Borders | 643 | 625 | 658 | 623 | 626 | 634 | 616 |
| Dumfries and Galloway | 808 | 766 | 806 | 828 | 811 | 806 | 754 |
| Fife | 1,822 | 1,771 | 1,738 | 1,760 | 1,673 | 1,647 | 1,634 |
| Forth Valley | 1,630 | 1,493 | 1,366 | 1,338 | 1,284 | 1,254 | 1,295 |
| Golden Jubilee National Hospital | - | - | - | 61 | 84 | 66 | 69 |
| Grampian | 3,303 | 3,106 | 2,973 | 2,915 | 2,875 | 2,889 | 2,810 |
| Greater Glasgow and Clyde | 8,947 | 8,558 | 8,372 | 8,015 | 7,842 | 7,682 | 7,595 |
| Highland | 1,979 | 1,892 | 1,780 | 1,764 | 1,739 | 1,677 | 1,598 |
| Lanarkshire | 3,182 | 3,058 | 3,000 | 2,835 | 2,634 | 2,547 | 2,488 |
| Lothian | 4,455 | 4,445 | 4,249 | 4,131 | 4,117 | 4,051 | 3,939 |
| Orkney | 94 | 94 | 94 | 94 | 77 | 70 | 68 |
| Shetland | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 99 | 92 |
| Tayside | 2,606 | 2,549 | 2,455 | 2,332 | 2,272 | 2,146 | 2,085 |
| Western Isles | 224 | 224 | 227 | 229 | 200 | 203 | 187 |
Source: ISD Scotland [ISD(S)1].
- Asked by: Kenneth Gibson, MSP for Cunninghame North, Scottish National Party
-
Date lodged: Monday, 05 January 2009
-
Current Status:
Answered by John Swinney on 15 January 2009
To ask the Scottish Executive how much it anticipates each local authority will save as a direct result of the abolition of ring fencing in (a) 2008-09, (b) 2009-10 and (c) 2010-11.
Answer
The significant reduction in ring fencing under the concordat has been of substantial benefit to local authorities. The change has given them greater flexibility to manage their resources more effectively and efficiently for the benefit of their service users. While it is too early to make a reliable estimate of the resulting savings, we will be considering the impact of this change in due course.
- Asked by: Kenneth Gibson, MSP for Cunninghame North, Scottish National Party
-
Date lodged: Wednesday, 12 November 2008
-
Current Status:
Answered by Shona Robison on 24 November 2008
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answers to questions S3W-14772 and S3W-14773 by Shona Robison on 15 July 2008, whether it accepts the Parkinson’s Disease Society’s estimate of around 10,000 people with Parkinson’s disease in Scotland, based on estimates derived from the results of published prevalence studies undertaken in the United Kingdom.
Answer
We are advised on these issues by the Information Services Division (ISD) of NHS National Services Scotland. We are pleased that ISD and the Parkinson''s Disease Society have reached agreement on a figure of around 10,000 people in Scotland with Parkinson''s.
no
- Asked by: Kenneth Gibson, MSP for Cunninghame North, Scottish National Party
-
Date lodged: Wednesday, 05 November 2008
-
Current Status:
Answered by Jim Mather on 18 November 2008
To ask the Scottish Executive what the average annual energy output is of wind turbines.
Answer
This information is not held centrally in the format requested. Electricity output from wind turbines will vary depending on factors such as the design, size and location, including whether onshore or offshore, of the turbines in question. All of these elements will affect the capacity factor of a wind turbine.
Output from individual turbines at commercial sites is usually a matter of commercial confidentiality.
- Asked by: Kenneth Gibson, MSP for Cunninghame North, Scottish National Party
-
Date lodged: Thursday, 11 September 2008
-
Current Status:
Answered by Jim Mather on 11 September 2008
To ask the Scottish Executive what it is doing to support the post office network in Scotland.
Answer
The Scottish Government recognises the valuable social role of post offices, particularly in deprived and remote areas of Scotland, and although post offices and postal services are a matter wholly reserved to the UK Government, Scottish ministers therefore continue to play an active role in seeking the best outcomes within the current closure programme.
Since the announcement of the post office network closure programme last May, the Cabinet Secretary for Finance and Sustainable Growth has maintained an active discussion with Post Office Ltd to ensure that their restructuring programme promotes transparency and open discussion of the issues with key stakeholders. He has also encouraged all MSPs and local authorities to carefully examine Post Office Ltd''s proposals to ensure that the interests of the public, particularly vulnerable groups, have been properly taken into account.
The Cabinet Secretary has in addition met Royal Mail Group to promote awareness of potential business opportunities, providing a close fit with the Scottish Government''s agenda to streamline and improve public services, as well as encouraging local authorities to consider opportunities to promote services alongside local post offices to aid their viability.
- Asked by: Kenneth Gibson, MSP for Cunninghame North, Scottish National Party
-
Date lodged: Monday, 30 June 2008
-
Current Status:
Answered by Shona Robison on 15 July 2008
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-10033 by Shona Robison on 29 February 2008, whether it accepts that the actual number of people in Scotland who have Parkinson’s disease could be more than double the estimate captured through the Practice Team Information scheme, in light of the findings of the Parkinson’s Disease Society that peer-reviewed prevalence data suggests that more than 10,200 people in Scotland live with Parkinson’s disease, of whom most will have idiopathic Parkinson’s.
Answer
The answer to question S3W-10033 on 29 February 2008 made clear that the estimate of prevalence given (4,800) was based on the Practice Team Information arrangements. The study cited by the Parkinson’s Disease Society (von Campenhausen et al, 2005) found an average prevalence of 130 per 100,000, which would equate to some 6,650 people in Scotland. The estimate of 10,200 people cited by the Society appears to be based on the single study which provided the highest prevalence estimate in the von Campenhausen review.
Overall, existing research suggests that the prevalence of Parkinson’s disease in Scotland, although very likely to be higher than the number estimated to consult a general practice in a single year, is unlikely to be more than double that number. Further work would be required to determine more precisely the number of those in Scotland with the disease.
Whatever the exact prevalence, the Scottish Government takes very seriously the needs of people with Parkinson’s disease, and welcomes the fact that NHS Quality Improvement Scotland is developing clinical standards relating to the condition.
All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.search.
- Asked by: Kenneth Gibson, MSP for Cunninghame North, Scottish National Party
-
Date lodged: Monday, 30 June 2008
-
Current Status:
Answered by Shona Robison on 15 July 2008
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-10033 by Shona Robison on 29 February 2008, whether it will revise its estimate of the number of people with Parkinson’s, in light of the findings of the Parkinson’s Disease Society that peer-reviewed prevalence data suggests that more than 10,200 people in Scotland live with Parkinson’s disease, of whom most will have idiopathic Parkinson’s.
Answer
The number of people in Scotland with Parkinson’s disease is, on the basis of current evidence, uncertain. Applying to the Scottish population the results of seven previous UK studies suggests that between 5,550 and 10,250 people in Scotland may currently have the disease. Individual estimates are themselves subject to uncertainty, however. For example, the study on which the Parkinson’s Disease Society’s estimate of 10,200 is based noted a potential prevalence rate of anything from one in 333 to one in 1,000, equating to between 5,100 and 15,350 people in Scotland.
- Asked by: Kenneth Gibson, MSP for Cunninghame North, Scottish National Party
-
Date lodged: Wednesday, 18 June 2008
-
Current Status:
Answered by Linda Fabiani on 14 July 2008
To ask the Scottish Executive what discussions it will initiate with Her Majesty’s Government following the Republic of Ireland’s decision to reject the EU Reform Treaty.
Answer
I attended the meeting of the Joint Ministerial Committee (Europe) on 17 June 2008 where Ireland’s decision to reject the EU Reform Treaty was discussed. I presented the Scottish Government’s position on this matter to ministers of the UK Government and to ministers of the devolved administrations of Northern Ireland and Wales.
The Scottish Government takes the view that the UK Government should have held a referendum on the EU Reform Treaty. It believes that the Irish referendum outcome demonstrates the impact that small member States can have and that it is important for the European Union to respect the views of all countries no matter what their size. The Scottish Government has urged the UK Government to argue for the removal of the conservation of marine biological resources from the list of exclusive EU competences and to treat this as a red line issue in any renegotiation or amendment of the treaty.
- Asked by: Kenneth Gibson, MSP for Cunninghame North, Scottish National Party
-
Date lodged: Thursday, 29 May 2008
-
Current Status:
Answered by Jim Mather on 9 June 2008
To ask the Scottish Executive, in light of its recent estimate of an additional £4.4 billion of North Sea Oil revenues as a result of rising fuel prices, whether it has estimated the total value of additional revenues from fuel taxation accruing to HM Treasury in 2008 and, if so, what the value is.
Answer
Initial estimates by the Scottish Government suggest that if the average retail price of motor fuel during 2008-09 remained at the levels observed in May 2008 this would ultimately yield an additional £1.2 billion in VAT receipts to HM Treasury, compared to the amount estimated to have been raised during 2007-08.
The Scottish Government has not yet estimated the additional revenues which would accrue to HM Treasury as a result of increased receipts from other forms of fuel taxation such as electricity and gas. Such estimates are difficult to obtain without an in depth analysis of detailed energy consumption statistics.
